Free Samples from the Collective Works of Bob Campbell

Free Samples from the Collective Works of Bob Campbell

Bob Campbell

Copyright 2016 C. Robert Campbell

Photography & Images Copyright 2016 Bob Campbell

Shakespir Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your very own personal enjoyment only. The series of ones and zeros that comprise this work may not be resold or given away to other humanoids or sentient beings. If you would like to share this ebook with another, please purchase an additional copy for him, her, or it. If you’re reading this ebook and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased specifically for your own personal use, then duck-and-cover, because Karma has a way of happening – so don’t chance it – just make a little digital trip to your favorite ebook retailer and purchase your very own copy. Thank you for respecting my efforts.

A funny thing happened on my way to publishing my latest book… I realized I’ve released a few books and a whole pile of photographs. I know, “Duh.”

What I meant was, in trying to remember what topic was covered in which book, I started to stumble a bit – and not just because I have an old, feeble brain. I believe I’m pushing well beyond a thousand images in these eight books and many different locations, topics, and rain storms. After a while, they start to blur together. Which means when someone asks me, “I thought you’d already covered…” I can’t just pop off with, “Nah, you’re thinking about…” instead, I’m struck with the realization, “You know, I might have. Dang.”

To circumvent that, welcome to my thought and picture organizer! Turns out, it’s sort of a neat sampler book in itself, so I decided that for the folks unsure if less than a buck for an e-book of my travels, pictures, and ideas is worth it (“Gee, thanks, mom & dad!”) I’d give you more than just the front selection to pick-and-choose your next virtual vacation or train-fix… instead of that linear ‘free sample’ of the books, you can grab a basket from each book. Not necessarily the best, the brightest, or the most wonderful, but something to give you an idea what a dollar will get you.

“Why,” you might ask, “charge anything at all for your books?”

Simple economics: you value something more if you have to make a little effort to achieve it.

I’m not kidding. It’s been proven time-and-again in some of the few repeatable psychology research experiments out there: if it’s free, it’s worth less to you, no matter the actual market value. If you “pay” something, either money, time and effort, or exchange an object, it becomes more valuable and you’re less likely to waste it.

I've found it to be true in me. I'll get a free e-book, and there's a 95% chance I'll never look at it. Make me pay even ninety-nine cents for it, and you can bet your bottom dollar I'll read the whole thing. Because I really don't care how many downloads ring up on my book or where it ranks in sales - instead I want to share my work with people; so it makes sense, I have to charge something, even if it's a token amount.

Which means this will become my most downloaded book… but I can rest assured, almost none will ever been seen. (Sniff… insert your favorite sad music here.)

General Guidelines

To help with basic separation of my books, they should fall into three main categories with a couple subcategories.

Travel, Destination, and Nature:

These are clumped under the Not Another Travel Guide monikers and are covered in two different styles: regular and high octane.

Not Another Travel Guide – High Octane: Zip through a trip that should take most folks many moons to complete, yet we do it in a very short period of time. Designed to give you an idea of available sights and scenes out there to better schedule your own vacation… or take a virtual vacation through a large number of locations over thousands of miles. I try to capture the best of what we’re offered during the trip to give you a realistic appreciation for an actual excursion. While I will include potentially a wide array of images of the big name attractions, I don’t tend to mince words and heap ‘me too’ praise on any location that doesn’t deserve it. Instead, I seem attracted to the less obvious, which ends up in the camera and in our books, along with the standard fare. It also seems a good number of our travel and vacation days tend toward the soggy end of the spectrum.

Not Another Travel Guide: One location in detail – sometimes over several days (like Seaside, Oregon), sometimes years (Ridgefield Wildlife Refuge, River ‘S’ Unit, Washington). An attempt to give the reader a more detailed appreciation for the destination that might be missed by your regular type travel guide. Initially designed as a supplement to the visitor of each locale, these type books can also be used to fake your way through ‘been there, done that’ – without ever leaving your screen.

Train: Long – Long – Short . Long –

While I’m not a true “Rail Fan,” I do take pictures of trains. Lots of them at times. It’s an interesting hobby and if you’ve never taken a moment to really look at a train, I encourage you to try. If nothing else, take a moment to glance at the train pictures included in here to get some idea of what you might be missing; or at the very least, confirm you are sure you’re not missing anything.

None of the Above:

None of these have been released yet, so I guess it’s a little silly including it. One of them (my cookbook – seriously, don’t laugh) has been sitting around waiting for a single picture for more than a year now – one day, I swear, I’m going to nail the needed shot so I can release this sucker before someone steals all my cool cooking secrets. The others cover a wide range of topics from veterinary medicine (possibly not the best thing to include from an author with a cookbook) to an art book with general ‘cool’ types of photography (every artist or photographer seems to think some of his or her work is ‘cool’ – the trick is determining if it really is before one embarrasses oneself – maybe you can see my reluctance to finish compiling it).

Important Notice

A quickie disclaimer to the text included with each sample photograph: I’m a believer in the ‘Truth in Advertising’ idea… you’re getting the exact quote that goes with the image. Removed completely out of context and without embellishment, no matter how ridiculous it may be. Originally I thought about writing up something more coherent, but that seemed like too much work. I mean, it seemed like I could really steer you astray and potentially expect something I am not (for example, every so often I’ll insert the ‘typical travel guide’ or ‘railfan’ text as a joke – but it’s rare, so don’t get any of my books expecting poetic waxing (and waning) about what you’ll see, feel, or experience – because it’s way too personal to pretend I can predict what you’ll take away from the same scene if you stand in my exact spot.

If you think the text is hokey and doesn’t make sense, get the entire book – maybe then I can completely confuse you.

So knowing this, go forth and enjoy a little dabble of what each book has to offer in the following pages.

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Table of Contents :

Call of the Wild

Here’s your chance… do you think you live in the most or least exciting place ever? Are you pretty sure you’d like to see a photo-book written and published about your special place? How about if you want to promote your location with an ultimately cool book photographed and written by Bob? (well, maybe not that last one… but it’s not saying I’m not willing to try.)

Drop me a line and we’ll consider your locale as a potential destination. And always remember, we’re not above receiving benefits or enticements to journey forth to experience your grand adventure and put it into ebook form (even though no one has ever volunteered to do such as of yet – we’re still waiting for our first big chance to sell-out, even though we’ve provided more than our fair share of promotional material without ever receiving so much as a thank you.

We’re always looking for our next grand adventure off the beaten path and opportunity to share it with the rest of the world. So what are you waiting on? Unless you let me know about your hidden gem, it may remain a secret forever.

This message brought to you by nobody, because not even Diet Dr. Pepper has offered me so much as a $1 off coupon, let alone my much desired T-shirt, for all my work promoting their product… so can you image what you’d get from us if we ever really did receive anything?

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Table of Contents :

Topic Treatise

Points and Topics Covered (Index to Available Images)

(Please note I obviously could only include a small handful of the numerous pictures in each volume, yet I also wanted to know where I should look to find them. This means if you click on the topic below and are dropped on a picture of the book cover, you’ll need to look in the book itself… and it is only a buck… plus if you’re disappointed, let me know – often times, I have multiple images and have to make a choice which one tells my story best (otherwise, you’d end up with over 200 images of Old Faithful erupting, for example). I get a kick out of talking with folks about the trips, so don’t be afraid to contact me if the book doesn’t have what you were expecting.)

Alaska (AK)

- LLSL Nifty Fifty

Arizona (AZ)

- LLSL Weekly Training

- NATG-HiO: CaNvUtAz

Beach Vacation, Seaside, OR

Buffalo / Bison, WY

California (CA)

- LLSL Weekly Training

- NATG-HiO: CaNvUtAz

Camp Roberts, CA

Campbell County, WY

Campbell Creek, TX

Church & Cemetery

- Little River Baptist Church, TX

- Pin Oak Cemetery, TX

- St. Mary’s Catholic Church, KS (Exterior / Interior)

- St. Mary’s Catholic Church Cemetery, KS

Colorado River, AZ

Columbia River Gorge, OR & WA

- LLSL Scenes

- LLSL Weekly Training (Lyle, WA)

- NATG-HiO: Piddle

Concrete Plant, OR

Connell, WA

- LLSL Amtrak (Minimal)

- LLSL Nifty Fifty

- LLSL Scenes

- LLSL Weekly Training

- NATG-HiO: Piddle

Copper Mine, Bisbee, AZ

Crazy Horse Monument, SD

Custer’s (General) Last Stand, MT

Dixie Cafe (TX – serving the best fried catfish)

El Capitan, Yosemite, CA

Favorite Spots

- Blythe Intaglios, CA

- Devils Tower, WY

Fire (Range Fire / Forest Fire)

- NATG-HiO: CaNvUtAz

- NATG-HiO: Piddle (MT, OR)

Gause, TX

Geology / Geologic Wonders

- Devils Tower, WY

- Grand Canyon, AZ

- Jewel Caves, SD

- Yellow Stone, WY

- Yosemite, CA

- Zion, UT

Golden Gate Bridge, CA

Gondola in Italy (Las Vegas, NV)

Grain Elevator

- LLSL Nifty Fifty

- LLSL Weekly Training (Vancouver, Eltopia, WA)

- NATG: Gause, TX

- NATG: Seneca, KS

- NATG-HiO: Piddle (MT, WA)

Grand Canyon, AZ

Gratuitous Sunset (MT) Picture (Joke entry… every book has at least one sunset)

Half Dome, Yosemite, CA

Harley Davidson (Sturgis, SD)

Idaho (ID)

- LLSL Nifty Fifty

- LLSL Scenes

- NATG-HiO: Piddle

Idaho Falls, ID

Intaglios, Blythe, CA

Kanab (“Little Hollywood”), UT

Kansas (KS)

- NATG: Seneca, KS

Las Vegas, NV

Little Big Horn, MT

Mojave Desert / Joshua Trees, CA

Montana (MT)

- LLSL Nifty Fifty

- LLSL Scenes

- NATG-HiO: Piddle

Mt. Rushmore, SD

Mt Hood, OR

- LLSL Nifty Fifty

- NATG-HiO: Piddle

Mt Shasta, CA

Nevada (NV)

- LLSL Amtrak (Minimal)

- LLSL Scenes

- LLSL Weekly Training

- NATG-HiO: CaNvUtAz

Oregon (OR)

- LLSL Amtrak (Minimal)

- LLSL Nifty Fifty

- LLSL Weekly Training

- NATG-HiO: CaNvUtAz

- NATG-HiO: Piddle

- NATG: Seaside

Palm Springs, CA

Prairie Dog, WY

Pronghorn Antelope, WY

Saguaro cactus, AZ

San Miguel Mission, CA

Sand Storm (NV-CA)

Seaside, OR

Seneca, KS

Snake River, ID

South Dakota (SD)

- NATG-HiO: Piddle

Specialty Books and Events

- Family Gathering, Thanksgiving on the Oregon Coast

- Fund Raiser, Therapeutic Horseback Riding Program

- Senior Tennis Group, Lakeshore Athletic Club/Vancouver West

Texas (TX)

- LLSL Amtrak (Minimal)

- LLSL Scenes

- NATG: Gause, TX

Tombstone & Boothill Graveyard, AZ

Utah (UT)

- NATG-HiO: CaNvUtAz

Venetian Casino & Grand Canal Shoppes, Las Vegas, NV

Washington (WA)

- LLSL Amtrak

- LLSL Nifty Fifty

- LLSL Scenes

- LLSL Weekly Training

- NATG Ridgefield Wildlife

- NATG-HiO: Piddle

Weather: Bad / Rain / Storm (Joke entry… every book of mine, especially travel and vacation has this – one day I’m sure I’ll get publish one without inclement weather, but not as of yet.) (Update July 2016: Not one but two books without any rain or storms! NATG: Seneca, KS & NATG: Gause, TX.)

But with the camera, exposure is your friend – even if you have to fool your pocket snapper into doing what you want.

… closing out Feelings…

Sometimes you just have to admit she’s a pretty good story teller.

… On the Beach…

Nope. Never mind. We’ll just let the wind blow us back to base camp and enjoy the rain from indoors.

… Off the Beach…

After just a couple shutter clicks, it’s raining again. Maybe we’ll skip ahead yet another day for the other out-and-about pictures.

… still Off the Beach…

Of course, it doesn’t mean we can’t stop to appreciate the views everyone else observes as well.

… Just Beachy…

Like a school of land-sharks cruising the beach.

… Parting Shots…

Bringing the catch home.

… still parting…

Froze my fingers off to get this shot – wind at twenty to thirty knots, surface temperature in the high twenties (Fahrenheit, not Celsius) – but the sun was trying to come out.

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Table of Contents :

Long – Long – Short . Long – Railway Scenes 2013-2014

LLSL Railway Scenes Table of Contents:

Introduction

Hazard

All Aboard – Vancouver Station

Departing Vancouver

Washington Points

Connell, WA

Oregon Scenes

Traveling Further Into the US

Return to Vancouver Local

Weather or Not

Pre-2013

FRED

… Washington Points…

Jumping up through central Washington running up toward Spokane, several small exits off the highway mark towns or truck scale, like in Tokio, Washington. Here BNSF 775 in ATSF war-bonnet livery runs a mixed freight north toward through Eastern Washington and the tip of the Palouse region – the breadbasket of Washington. August 2014.

… Connell, WA…

Moving further north from Connell proper another oil-can out of the Bakken Oil Shale fields from the Dakotas and Montana curve south on the mainline cruising toward Connell where she’ll run down to the Columbia River before angling west to Vancouver, WA where she’ll curve north by northwest again to loading ports. May 2014.

… still in Connell…

Breaking dawn and overnight there hasn’t been a reduction in the traffic, BNSF 7636 slips into the passing lane to clear the mainline a few minutes before dawn with another 2013 load of wheat… in May 2014.

… Oregon Views…

Blalock Canyon doesn’t look like much on the map, but it’s a neat little area to catch a train or two – not that they’d stop in this area, although with traffic patterns, a growing number do get a red at some point through this region brining movement to a halt. This Union Pacific triple header mixed freight aims west bound behind UP 4120 and her sisters. July 2014.

… still elsewhere in Oregon…

Before departing completely form Eastern Oregon and golden hills, a fast leap over into northeast-central Oregon and the Rye Valley cut-off area where we find Union Pacific 8000 on point trailing a Southern Pacific Livery bloody-nose UP 6383 and the standard Union Pacific yellow UP 5454 out of a tunnel and into the bright summer sun. August 2014.

What a difference a few hills make between eastern and western Oregon. Near Viento State Park along the Columbia River, UP 8091 leads a mixed freight consist east out of the green rolling hills that mark the western side of the state. April 2014.

… Travel Throughout the United States…

This is as close to rail fanning as I’ve ever come. A picturesque double-war bonnet BNSF 122 and BNSF 158 winding through some beautiful sections of Nevada following the same path as our own travels. I only made a few stops along the way, but it was tempting to continue our hopscotching in my attempt to find yet one more amazing location to have her chug through. This one from near Mustang, Nevada (yes, that Mustang) in July 2014.

A big leap south into Texas and I can continue on the bridge theme with this Union Pacific double-header with a mixed freight behind UP 5327 and UP 3854 crossing the Blanco River in San Marcos. March 2014

Before jumping back up into the northwest corner of the country, one last image from San Marcos with Union Pacific 1913 finishing a split shuffle passing below the Texas State University San Marcos Stadium. For the train lover, this little city is great with the rails crossing through town in multiple areas with nearby concrete plants and other industry giving a neat mix to the freight traffic as you get to watch sitting behind another cross-buck at-grade crossing. March 2014.

… Return to Vancouver, WA…

Moving south to the next over-pass on a different day, Fourth Plain Blvd gets a view to the middle sorting yards. The blue with yellow-hazard slash nose CREX unit pushing on a Montana coal unit train in the multi-mile passing lane new to our area with a BNSF covered hopper consist, possibly an empty grain train taking the northern route back to Eastern Washington or further north into Canada on the main. A mixed freight BNSF ambles out of the deeper sort yard as our local remote units work the next siding group over in a crowded corner below the 39th Street over-pass. April 2014.

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Table of Contents :

Long – Long – Short . Long – Amtrak

Long – Long – Short . Long – : Amtrak Table of Contents:

Introduction

Toaster Parade – Ubiquitous P42DC Units

Other Power – Also Available for Your Power Pleasure

Non-Powered Control Units (NPCU)

Passenger Cars and Rolling Stock

Down at the Station

Interesting Pictures and a Funny Story

UFO – Unusual From-Faraway Objects

… Introduction continued…

AMTK 93 – AMTK 510 double-header accelerating hard out of our Vancouver station with next stop a few hours away in Seattle. (July 2014)

… Toasters on Parade…

Although to give them a sporting chance, I have crossed paths in other locations, like out toward Ridgefield, WA down in the hills above the Columbia River and Lake River areas where AMTK 55 charges northward toward Seattle. (May 2014)

… still on Parade…

And so we can finally turn out the lights on this long line of toasters parading across the camera sensor and focus our attention on some of the less frequently noted units and pieces to the passenger puzzle. (AMTK 123 just leaving Amtrak Station in Vancouver (beige colored building just around corner below the bridge), Dec 2014)

… Other Powered Units…

Putting the look of some real power at the front, AMTK 503 G32-8WH leans around the curve along the Columbia River at Dog Creek in the Columbia River Gorge east of Vancouver in original cool Amtrak livery. (June 2002)

Non-Powered Control Units (NPCU)…

Seriously – silent as they come, yet if at the front of the consist, she controls the power from up there. Providing a somewhat safe platform for passenger strings to bounce back and forth along the Seattle (sometimes Vancouver, BC – otherwise known as ‘the other Vancouver’ here in Southwest Washington) and California north-south runs without need to turn the train around. ( AMTK 90251 disappears into the fall mist at Ridgefield Wildlife Refuge. Nov 2013)

… Passenger Cars & Rolling Stock…

Unlike the day-tripper Cascades, the Superliner group includes sleepers like AMTK 32111. Even without the benefit of low, but bright setting sun going through the windows, you probably already noted the bottom level helps tell the tale on what function the unit serves with the other more subtle differences between the baggage car combination cars. (Feb 2015)

… Down at the Station…

Showing off the curved platform, AMTK 469 with her Cascades consist slip quietly into the curve on the near-lane (with easier access than when forced to use the second outside mainline) on a winter day here in Vancouver. (Jan 2015)

… Interesting Pictures…

Moving much closer to home, this is our own train bridge crossing the Columbia River as seen from the south end of the Vancouver Amtrak Station. AMTK 117 prepares to clear the bridge deck and hit the low, late winter sun as she slides to a stop. (Feb 2015)

And AMTK 118 and AMTK 69 provide the polar opposite of the previous February warm sun and dry image, as they stalk off into the misty winter day the year before up in Ridgefield Wildlife Refuge with snow on the ground and cold, heavy, moist air holding the power duo’s exhaust for a lingering moment as they charge hard for the green. (Feb 2014)

… another from Interesting Pictures section…

AMTK 90340 pauses under dreadfully dreary, pea-soup dense fog and nearly freezing rain before completing her journey northward on Christmas Eve. I could have included the rest of the image to the right of the frame to match the July one – except it was all fog bank – the rear of the consist couldn’t even be seen as she stretched around the corner just a hundred yards away. (Dec 2013)

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Table of Contents :

Not Another Travel Guide, High Octane: California, Arizona, Nevada, Utah

NATG – HiO: California, Arizona, Nevada, Utah Table of Contents:

Introduction: Screw the Salad Bar at the All-You-Can-Eat Buffet

Morning Has Broken – WA-OR-CA

San Francisco – Holy Crap! Where do you park?

California, Here I Go – L.A. back to Reality

Blythe, CA – Seriously

Arizona

Grand Canyon

Zion

Utah – Arizona – Nevada – Don’t Blink

Vegas, Baby

Desert Storm – Thanks, Cali, that was a new windshield

Yosemite

Hoofing it Home

Index of Images

Appendix – Travelogue

San Francisco, CA…

The bad weather continues catching up with us as we’re getting further and further away from the welcome mat, now on the other side of the bridge we’re closer to local joggers and possibly less traveled parkways than desired. At least there’s a port-a-john in a construction zone for the passenger with crossed legs and anxious expression: some of the stress has been relieved, except the wind has increased from 20mph to gale force. Yup – jail it is, because there’s no way I’m heading back into that mess to find where to pay. Here’s hoping for WiFi at the motel tonight. Now, where did they put the highway?

Coastal California…

San Miguel Mission near the rest area proves to be well worth the side trip – the rain stays just outside our reach only threatening while we do a morning stretch through the grounds before they open.

Blythe, CA…

Out we go in search of evening adventure. We’re rewarded with an even 80° on the thermometer and most of the wind has died down. In fact, it’s almost an eerie calm, which is fitting for our location.

California to Arizona…

As the sun breaks in the east, I have to leave Blythe – right? Maybe not – oh, wait, it’s stinking cold out here shooting these pictures! It’s barely 60° and the breeze is starting to pick up. Time to pack up and hit Arizona.

Arizona Rest Area…

Being out in the desert, I’m bound and determined to find exotic critters – carefully poking around the rocks, brush, and plants – supposedly scorpions, tarantulas, and other famous critters are to be found. We haven’t even seen our first roadrunner. In fact, it’s been a pretty critter-less journey. Finally I find this little lizard sunning himself, and I could feel for him: it’s still really nippy outside, especially with that cool wind.

Bisbee, Arizona…

That’s not to say the giant hole in the ground wasn’t interesting, because it really was a neat place to stop just outside of town at the possibly closing/closed parking area with information signs about the copper mining operations.

Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona side…

And here I will make my little complaint about the haze – and it was markedly noticeable. I’m unsure if bright sun would’ve helped or hindered, but I didn’t have a choice, because the clouds were coming in fast. It would seem weather patterns took a short-cut while we made the two hour trip up here. (The modern haze is a known change in the area, being called out specifically by a number of informative signs along the rim walk.)

Zion National Park, Utah…

With a few dips through the hills and a tunnel, you could find yourself facing more colored hills.

Las Vegas, Nevada…

We walked the entire canal, up one side and down the other. It was a neat effect. Not Blythe, but it was still interesting, and hoots more entertaining than the Golden Gate Bridge.

Yosemite, California…

So, there’s Half Dome and El Capitan… and a dead tree. Looks like Zion and Yosemite both have problems with those pine beetles or whatever is killing off the various evergreen/pine forests. Good thing they’re helping make the haze more thick with burning off sections of forest. (Yes, contrary to the sarcasm, I understand there’s not much else that can be done that’s environmentally friendly and ecosystem safe – but after spending almost a week on the road, I was getting tired of the occasional sun break showing off a thick haze in all directions, even in ‘natural’ areas that are supposed to be clean. I mean, those old stories speak of going to the desert for the clean air – which seems a fantasy world from long ago and doesn’t exist now).

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Table of Contents :

Long – Long – Short . Long – Weekly Training, Railroad Photography Throughout the Year

Weekly Training Table of Contents:

Introduction

January: Week 1-4

February: Week 5-8

March: Week 9-12

April: Week 13-17

May: Week 18-22

June: Week 23-26

July: Week 27-30

August: Week 31-35

September: Week 36-39

October: Week 40-43

November: Week 44-48

December: Week 49-52

That’s a Wrap

Index

Bonus Material: Director’s Cut

Week 8: February 22-28…

The entire Pacific Northwest seems to think it’s practically summer, and there’s no complaints coming from me positioned along the Vancouver Amtrak passenger station curved platform with the sun glinting off the nose of a southbound Union Pacific mixed freight getting the green to proceed onto the Columbia River train bridge just a stone’s throw away.

Week 14: April 5-11…

Of course, everyone’s definition of ‘river’ is different. With more than a quarter to half-mile of water between us and the other side of the Columbia River in this shot, it’s easier to see the difference between the dry east side of the state and the wet side (oops, the ‘s’ dropped out of ‘west’). Except this year, because returning home to Vancouver, there’s no more rain. Over the next six months, the draw-down line on the rocks in our state will become powder-white as we enter our drought, not yet present here near Lyle, WA as seen from the Oregon side of the river as BNSF attempts to fulfill their contracts to empty the previous year’s grain from the breadbasket of Washington down to off-loading elevators in Vancouver to transfer it to ship.

Week 26: June 28-July 4…

End of June, halfway through my year of weekly training and I’ve kept to it! The lack of rain and no miserably cold weather has made it much easier than anticipated. Although it looks like our moss and mildew might be suffering a little by the looks of the loss of brilliant, growing green usually coloring the train bridge at the station.

Week 27: July 5-11…

Needing a little proof we are still in real life, I caught a little green local freight coming up and out of the new ‘tunnel’ (actually an underpass below the train bridge leading out to the west/northwest Port of Vancouver – which sounds like a lot of work, but it frees up the need to cross the north-south main lines to reach the new reversing loop out closer to Vancouver Lake), because everyone knows BNSF sports pumpkin orange… er, “Check, please.”

Week 30: July 26-August 1…

The end of July – I’m actually doing it – I’ve been going out training at least once weekly, if not more. So here’s a little celebration and expanded weekly group of shots, starting out with the lead on a southbound double-stack coming out of the Felida crossing area – and proof, if you can’t get a clear shot, sometimes you can make the most of what you’ve got and hope for the best.

… and later in Week 30…

Tossing in a little local flavor to all these Class I units, the marvelous weather permits time to explore around town, catching the Great Western Malting / United Grain elevator’s medium-sized mover out on the end of the work spurs, blue, clear skies blazing in the background.

Week 36: September 6-12…

Yup, I knew God was probably female. As soon as the Old Testament mentioned ‘vengeful,’ I knew… and it’s time to pay the price for dry weather. The rains are back, and I’m so out of habit of shooting in it, I’m at a loss on the way to church the first Sunday of September, and I have to face this glorious mix of color and activity in the north yard of Vancouver as seen from the 39th Street bridge.

Week 43: October 25-31…

Heading back home, a pause at Eltopia, WA between Connell and Pasco for a self-portrait – yes, that’s my shadow in the morning sun in the lower left of the frame catching this northbound mixed freight charging past the local elevator.

Week 46: November 15-21…

A last snap to the south before hoping across the road to see what it looks to the north side of the over-pass… delayed due to vehicular traffic that doesn’t understand the absolute importance and excitement that’s going on under their wheels – trapping me on the south side.

…That’s a wrap…

I appreciate you taking the time to puddle through my year of weekly training. All said and done, it was actually quite fun and I’m glad I did it. Of course, I do look forward to the coming months of rail photography on my own time without that little nagging feeling in the back of the brain, “It’s Saturday morning… you haven’t completed your training this week. Don’t you really want to give up like everyone else and their failed New Year’s resolutions?” Especially when away from home and it seems like the entire steel rail world has forsaken your chosen excursion route. (Thanks, California, Arizona, Utah!)

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Table of Contents :

Long – Long – Short . Long – Nifty Fifty Finds, 50 Railroad and Railway Discoveries

It turns out there are actually happy surprises around home, as well. Little had I known about a neat trio of power hidden down along the Columbia River working in the repurposed old wartime ship building yards of the Columbia Business Center. (CBCX 565, SSB-1200, July 29, 2014, Vancouver, WA)

Kansas City Southern Livery…

The folks that live around them probably don’t fully grasp the sheer degree of cool they get to bask in every day of rail-watching (not to be confused with whale watching – which I presume would be quite difficult through a lot of the KCS territory, so the joke would potentially be lost on them, forcing me to explain it here, which then makes it seem so much less funny then when I initially wrote it down). (KCS 4160, SD70ACe, March 15, 2015, Vancouver, Washington)

Great Northern F-Series…

Other times, it seems like the entire world smiles upon the rail fan, practically running you down in an effort to reward a little perseverance and clean living. Well, at least the steadfast attitude.

Nickel Plate Shark-Nose…

Oddly enough, I didn’t realize what I was looking at when seeing her here in Portland at the Railroad Heritage Museum (maintenance and restoration shop). Sure she looked pretty neat, but then again, sometimes you don’t realize what you’ve got until she pulls out… and you see pictures showing up from everywhere else touting “one of only…”

Coos Bay Rail Link…

A lucky turn down toward the Coos Bay waterline nets a fine specimen in a short break between heavier rains.

CBRW Technicolor…

Or the kaleidoscope of intermediate and pending color palette in the wisps of early winter. (CBRW 2274 (GP9u) – CBRW 166 (SD9) – CBRW 608(SD9), November 25, 2015, Connell, WA)

Honorable Mentions…

Grand plans were to cover model-worthy buildings…(UP 8850(SD70AH) – UP 4143(SD70M) – UP 8784(SD70ACe), August 3, 2014, The Dalles, Oregon)

Another in the Honorable Mention list…

and… well, I guess there’s always time and opportunity to build up another grand-slam fifty. (Connell Grain Elevator, August 20, 2014, Connell, Washington)

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Table of Contents :

Not Another Travel Guide: Ridgefield Wildlife Refuge River ‘S’ Unit

Ridgefield Wildlife Refuge Table of Contents:

Introduction

Disclaimer and Nutria Note

Typical Auto Tour

- Bird Blind

- Kiwa Trail

Through the Seasons

Residents and Visitors

- Great Blue Heron

- Ducks and Coots

- Great Egret

- Canada Goose

- Tundra Swan

- Famous and Elusive: Sand Hill Crane

- Raptors, Eagles, and Hawks – Oh My!

- All Other Birds Not Covered Above

- Reptiles and Amphibians

- Mammals

- Insects, worms, and other creepy crawlies

Babies

Meal Time

Oak Trail (Carty Unit, Main)

Art

Getting There

Conclusion

Introduction…

Ever get tired of seeing those amazing photographs in promotional pieces and National Geographic? Me neither – but like most folks, I do get tired of comparing my work at the same general vicinity to it and coming up short. Far short. Not even tall enough to proudly sing “Short People.”(Red Wing Black Bird mid-call “Singing,” February 27, 2016)

Introduction / Seasons…

If you opt to visit, but manage to miss some things, this book is your cheat sheet to say, “If I only had two decades to visit this place, I could’ve got better pictures than this!” So take a couple hours, pile into your car or truck, and take a leisurely drive around the Ridgefield Wildlife Refuge River ‘S’ Unit north of Vancouver, Washington. (Migrating and winter resident swans, as seen over the berm south of Rest Lake, January 13, 2002)

Typical Tour…

Coming out of the trees, you’ll split some of the water control gate areas and enter into heavier hawk zones. (Cooper’s Hawk, January 10, 2016)

Great Blue Heron…

Nothing else says “River ‘S’ Unit” like the Great Blue Heron. I don’t believe we’ve ever made it all the way around the auto-loop without seeing at least one, and typically a significant number of them. The irritated squawk as they take flight when the viewer annoys them too much to the disdainful glance back in your direction after landing far enough away for comfort, these are the ambassadors of the Refuge. (Great Blue Heron, entrance water channel, July 26, 2015)

Great Egret…

So I’ve spent over twenty years calling these ‘cattle egrets’ – and I was wrong. Supposedly, I guess these are actually “Great Egrets” – although it would be fair to ask, just what makes them so great? To which I’d say, in the natural colors of winter, having a glowing white critter out there among the dead and the brown is pretty great. Almost gives one hope the rain will eventually stop. (Great Egret, no predilection to any one spot in the Refuge, December 12, 2014)

Sandhill Crane…

For many years we visited the Refuge and never once truly saw a Sandhill Crane. Sure, there was one year someone was parked down on the back area in the transition from between the flood plain-lakes and the squiggly ‘S’ curve leading up to the exit drag strip telling folks to look off in the distance and see the Sandhills out near the corn stubble area very close to the hunters’ preserve – but otherwise, never anything clear. Then, one year, they were everywhere – except the Refuge. Finally, we caught them a few more times the past couple years – but if you don’t see them, don’t fret. Most likely the view will be off in the distance. Instead, don’t be afraid to cheat and point to a picture in a book and claim, “Just like this!” (Sandhill Crane, cheater shot – still in Ridgefield, but we found this small flock in a field south of the River ‘S’ Unit, December 8, 2012)

American Bittern…

This was the very first ‘cool’ bird we saw in our first few years circling the Refuge (when the Auto-Tour finally made a full circuit instead of two-way traffic in-and-out). It’s still neat to see them, although after finding their preferred strip between the canal and Rest Lake just after the Sandhill Crane corner, plus knowing to look through all the weeds, because of their penchant to hide in a clump of tall grass, nose aimed up in the air, has really made them more common these past few years. If you manage to spot one, try to hang around until you get to see it tromp off, as the ones we’ve seen have an interesting forward kick-goose-step as they move through the water’s edge looking for food. (American Bittern moving off from the brush below the road out into the water control channel along the southwestern edge of Rest Lake just past the flood-plain split (where you drive between the water before Crane corner), February 16, 2014)

Fritillary Butterfly…

While I could be safe and just call this a butterfly, going on a limb, we can pretend it’s a Fritillary Brushfoot, just because it sounds cool… and it’s fun to say “Fritillary.” (Fritillary Brushfoot Butterfly, Kiwa Trail, September 17, 2011)

Meal Time…

Sometimes in photography, you have to be good. Other times, you need to be lucky. Someone once said, “I’d rather be lucky than good.” Here’s my shot at being lucky. (Cinnamon Teal, near the Kiwa Trail entrance on Bower Slough, May 6, 2014)

Conclusion…

So saying this, I’ve blathered on long enough. I hope you enjoyed your ‘time-enhanced’ virtual trip to the Ridgefield Wildlife Refuge ‘S Unit’ with us… and we still haven’t caught everything on camera (stupid beaver!) – far from it. Which is why we still go. (Nutria, feeding at edge of the Kiwa Trail parking lot just up from the edges of Bower Slough, February 16, 2014)

Well, that’s not quite true – because I had taken the early morning hours to wander around the bustling city of Idaho Falls to catch some sights and a few trains before the family got up, so I got to be out as the rains started to fall. Although on the bright side, with how dark it was with the impending rain, I was able to use somewhat slower shutter speeds to ‘smooth’ the water of the city’s namesake Idaho Falls in a last image before rain blurred up the lens at quarter to six in the morning.

Wyoming…

Fifteen short minutes later, we’ve managed to get into the parking lot and out of the car… and into the rain.

Montana to Wyoming…

It would seem sometimes it would be best to leave the past alone, because now I’d forever have the modern taint left upon those distant memories. Funny – a teaching moment, possibly a better reflection of the regrets of the past than would’ve been first apparent. (Not to knock the museum and all the displays and flashy modern memorials, but, honestly, there was something sacred back then that’s missing now in the politically correct world.)

Wyoming…

Within fifteen minutes, it truly wasn’t a mirage: Devils Tower… jutting up with growing clouds (and no cool Close Encounters music to explain the darkening and thickening clouds swirling around).

Wyoming to South Dakota…

Dinner time approaching and we’re not getting any closer to our destination, time to hit another rest area near the border because the Hogs are now covering all lanes of traffic and moving considerably slower than the posted speed limit in the increasing wind and tricky conditions when you’re balanced on two wheels. Watching the weather system overtake us with the sparks of lightning suggesting we’re in for quite the show.

South Dakota…

Because I can’t hope to match all the amazing views others have published or snapped through their exhaustive studies of the monument, I’ll try to just fill in a few holes for your virtual vacation with us.

still at Mt Rushmore…

One more quick peek over a rock before disappearing for good… and I swear, I hear a little chuckle coming from him as we make our way to start the walking tour below the escarpment.

South Dakota, but moving west…

Sure I missed out on most of the ‘guided’ part of the tour, but I got lots of extra time to spend seeing cool details and having time to snap additional frames to ensure a good rendition of ‘cave snot.’

Wyoming…

Attempting to get a more photogenic view of this small group, zooming in on the presumed male of the mini-herd.

Montana…

The fires to the west do create quite the display for sunset as seen from our pit-stop as the sun starts to drop below the horizon.

… Join us for the rest of the trip in Piddle, Puddle, Traffic Jam as we finish out our journey through Idaho, back to home stomping grounds in Eastern Washington before scurrying back home on the Oregon side of the Columbia River Gorge back home to Vancouver, Washington.

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Table of Contents :

Not Another Travel Guide: Seneca, Kansas

NATG: Seneca, KS Table of Contents:

Introduction

Important Notes

Travel to Seneca on the Yellow Brick Road from the North Border

Sunday Morning in Seneca

- Downtown

- Outskirts and Countryside

- Back Toward Home base

St. Mary’s Catholic Church (St. Benedict / North Seneca, KS)

Exploration West on Hwy 36 (Marysville, KS)

Evening in Seneca

Conclusion

Introduction…

Yo, Toto! It looks like we're in Kansas! (Monochromatic color taken just outside of town southeast of Seneca, KS, 04:58 PDT, SX700 1/320s f5 ISO125 stopped down -2/3 for exposure... it's that little ying-yang black/white box +/- button on your camera - don't be afraid to use it.)

… still in the Introduction…

Prepare to join us at the northern border of Kansas as we spend a week there one day. (Truth be told, actually a day-and-a-half.) (Seneca, KS, 05:24 PDT, 1/320 f5.6 ISO125)

… Important Notes…

Thus I strongly urge you: explore your own town, visit numerous churches – why not a different one every week until you find a comfortable religious home? – and experience the joy of the believers. Of course, it’s more enjoyable as you learn the routines, so don’t give up too quickly. Going several times in a row makes it easier – plus as a bonus you get to take the time to fully appreciate all the architectural and cultural details that make tolerance and diversity great. (St. Mary’s Catholic Church, St. Benedict/Seneca, KS, June 19, 2016, 09:04 PDT, SX700 1/30s f3.2 ISO800)

… Sunday Morning in Seneca…

If only you stop and see.(Seneca, KS, 04:38 PDT, SX700 1/800s f4 ISO100) (I warned you these things are taken out of context!)

So come along on a quick half-hour tour of early summer in Seneca and take that road less traveled. (Seneca, KS, 04:47 PDT, SX700 1/800s, f5.6 ISO400, southeast end of town near the Nemaha County Co-Op)

St. Mary’s Catholic Church basking in late morning sun after valiantly performing during Sunday morning services (St. Benedict, KS, 09:47 PDT, SX700 1/800s f4.5 ISO100 as seen from the southwest parking area)

… Go West, Young Person…

Stumbling across this beauty after seeing her to the south of our exploration of the Union Pacific’s maintenance of way storage tracks to the east of the main yard office is practically a dream come true for the off-the-beaten-path traveler. The Marysville Depot & Station appears to have had a significantly large freight wing (the near, left side of the frame), along with a large central passenger section, flanked to the south (right side) with additional waiting and/or crew areas – both ends of the building bear the old Union Pacific Overland Route shields.(Marysville, KS, June 19, 2016, 13:56 PDT, SX700 1/800s f5.6 ISO100, looking east as seen from where the original tracks would have been which the building would’ve served.)

… Evening in Seneca…

It would seem places like Seneca are more important to our future than you might expect – so don’t be afraid to take time out of modern life to roll back the clock, if for only a moment or two, and live the good life. (Seneca, KS, June 19, 2016, 18:23 PDT, SX700 1/200s f6.3 ISO100, Dust of harvest and recent storms and wind combine with the smoke coming from the West Coast range fires to turn the sky every color but blue.)

The loopy ribbons of rail disappear in both directions, although only the ones to the east currently catch enough light to contrast against the darkened bed which most of the world seems content to sleep through most of the morning. The rails remain silent, and the sun down. (Gause TX, June 24, 2016, 04:12 PDT, SX700 1/25s f5.6 ISO400, again, using the benefits of longer exposure time to collect enough light to make an image)

… The Gause Strip…

Spinning to the left to look up the main street / old frontage road, the rest of Gause easily fits in the frame. (Gause, TX, June 25, 16:27 PDT, SX260 1/400s f4.5 ISO200, looking west-by-northwest with my back to Highway 90/179)

… Historic Pin Oak Cemetery…

“The Pin Oak community began to decline after World War II, as many residents followed the national trend in moving to urban areas for employment opportunities. The cemetery deteriorated, but concerned family members worked to preserve the burial ground. Today, residents and relatives of the deceased continue to care for the cemetery, which serves as a record of the pioneering men and women of the Pin Oak Community.” (Pin Oak Cemetery, Gause, TX, 08:08 PDT, SX260 1/500s f5 ISO100)

… Hearne – East of Gause…

Along this stretch of road, there’s still more to see. Longhorn, and she’s in Texas, so that makes her a Texas Long Horn (she even has a little burnt orange on her to prove it) on the south side of Highway 79/190 between Gause and Hearne – and she proved a little difficult to find her in a photogenic position, even though she and her non-Longhorn herd mates were typically wandering around their pond and pasture. And before I’m accused of digital trickery, as I snapped the shutter, a fly must’ve bothered her left ear and she flicked it back (I didn’t even notice until preparing to edit it for this image) twitching her left ear tag back and out of the image for me. Now that is the perfect model: knowing what the photographer wants without having to be asked. (Hearne, TX, June 25, 2016, 09:21 PDT, SX260 1/320s f5 ISO200)

… Hearne Depot…

And while the exterior of the entire building is extremely intriguing, having served two separate track directions at the Hearne diamond, don’t miss the details.(Hearne, TX, June 25, 2016, 10:12 PDT, SX260 1/800s f4 ISO200)

… Misty Morning To Milano…

The sun cracks through the low lying clouds coming up over the trees and foggy fields of Gauze on a sultry Sunday morning. (Gause, TX, June 26, 2016, 04:36 PDT, SX260 1/200s f6.3 ISO160 just outside of Gause to the west along Highway 79/190)

… Critters in and around Gause…

Beetle… yup, that’s the complete extent to my highly scientific identification and classification of said insect. You’re welcome. (Gause, TX, June 25, 2016, 13:39, SX260 1/640 f4 ISO100, near the ‘electric company’ brick building during the Gause explorations of the afternoon)

… still in Critters…

Biggest Fly I've Ever Seen: "Everything is bigger in Texas." I'd be lying if I didn't say being that close to it made me nervous. Luckily he seemed more intent upon the moisture that had accumulated upon the car overnight, the porch weather station saying it was 72°F and 63% humidity. (Gause, TX, June 28, 2016, 06:42PDT, SX260 1/1250s f4.5 ISO100 - both shots)

Union Pacific 8406 looking like she’s in the front, but really pushing at the tail of an eastbound mixed freight crossing the diamond-multi-wye under morning sun. (Valley Junction, TX, June 26, 2016, 09:07 PDT, SX260 1/500s f5.6 ISO100 looking north from below/on the banks of the Highway 190/79 over-pass)

Unfortunate: The Size of Bob Campbell Sample Pictures Stopped Fitting at the End of Each Book

Virtual Vacations for the Cubicle Convict: Samples from the works of Bob Campbell

What About Bob: Available Works

What About Bob? The Campbell Collection of eBooks Sample Pack

What Box? Bob’s World Without Borders – eBook Sampler

Y? Because We Like You! M-O-U-S-E: See All of Bob Campbell’s Sample Set

X-Photos: The Truth Is In Here – further samples from the Bob Campbell Collection

Zymosan, Away! Even Yeast Cells Like These Samples from the Bob Campbell eBook Collection

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See? Free Sampler of the Collective Works of Bob Campbell doesn’t sound so bad now, does it?

Post Script and Important Note: Turns out many of the search engines on ebook providers are royally messed up. If you enter my name in the search spot, because I’m the author and not the title, none of my books show up. So I had to include my name in the title of the book. Not because I’m a conceited jerk, but because I’m tired of relatives writing me saying, “You have not written anything! I’m on A-they-won’t-carry-my-books-without-an-exclusive-contract-zon and you’re not there!” Whereby I have to write back and say, “Any book seller except that one!” Which quickly results in, “Nope, I’m on iABook, Bar-n-Gnoble, SmushWorks, and even some strange website done up in a language I’ve never seen – you’re still not there.” I check – and they’re right… until I enter a title of one of the books, then I show up. To fix that, my free book had to include my name in the title. Hopefully now this will fix things. Plus, if all goes well, at least on Shakespir, you can set the notify section up so each time I upgrade this sampler with each new publication, you’ll also get a notice of ‘Free Update!’ which means, for my diehard fan (Thanks, Cheryl!), and now you, will know a new book is out.

- – - -

Table of Contents :

Conclusion

Thanks – ‘nuff said.

- – - -

Table of Contents :

About the Author

C. Robert (Bob) Campbell

I was born south of the Mason-Dixon Line with early childhood in Texas before being transplanted to the Pacific Northwest just prior to junior high. I’ve stayed and strayed around the state of Washington, completing college at Washington State University with a degree proclaiming Doctor of Veterinary Medicine.

While in college, I picked up a camera for the first time and found a fun hobby. Please note, that contrary to popular opinion, the camera does not make the artwork – all the images in this collection were done on either a Canon SX700 or a partially broken Canon SX260 (don’t ask), so nothing highly technical. Digital darkroom was primarily limited to fixing color casts, contrast, and saturation.

If you have any pressing questions, comments, concerns, or curses, I can be reached through the contact information below.

Free Samples from the Collective Works of Bob Campbell

Still sitting on the fence whether you're willing to part with less-than-a-buck to support my efforts to provide you with vaguely entertaining and visually pleasing material? Try this sample collection on for size and I hope you won't be disappointed. Heck, compared to the spartan 'a dozen snaps' most folks call a book, I work hard to provide you with a steaming pile of stuff to appreciate (huh, maybe not the best metaphorical language I could've used - no wonder no one wants to look at my books). Anyway, I hope the images are better than my sales pitch, which you'll never know unless you download and take a gander at this compendium of my collective works.